TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Mississippi State University baseball team knows the Southeastern Conference schedule is an arms race.
That’s why the MSU coaches have spent the past two years stockpiling ammunition.
The ability to recruit high-level pitching talent paid off again Saturday as MSU survived for a 3-2 victory against the University of Alabama and clinched its third straight series.
“It’s not happening for us (offensively), but if you look around the league, it’s just not happening for a lot of people,” MSU coach John Cohen said. “I think there are 43 one-run games in our league already. I think we pitch it and defend it well enough to win a game.”
The victory marks the first time MSU (29-17, 12-11 SEC) has won a weekend series against Alabama (17-30, 6-17) since 2005. It is the first time the Bulldogs have accomplished that feat in Tuscaloosa since 2004.
“Our kids know our season is still in the palm of our hands,” Cohen said. “We kind of determine our own destiny, and they want all those goals we set forth early on to achieve. They still want all those.”
In its last three series wins against the University of Tennessee, the University of Mississippi, and Alabama, none of those schools could equal MSU’s pitching depth to handle low-scoring, one-run games. MSU is one of two SEC schools with a team ERA under 3.00.
“On the mound we did a really good job,” Alabama coach Mitch Gaspard said. “Our young guys did their part to give us a chance to win. You have got to give a lot of credit to Mississippi State’s arms. Again we scattered out eight hits and a couple of runs.”
MSU used five pitchers Saturday, but it was a much more tactical approach than Friday night when Cohen handed the ball to ace Chris Stratton and watched him dominate for seven innings.
Stratton (9-0) became the 12th MSU pitcher in school history to reach 100 strikeouts when he fanned shortstop Jared Reaves in the sixth inning of a 3-1 victory. The junior from Tupelo, who The Dispatch has learned could be selected in the top 10 overall of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, had six strikeouts and allowed seven hits.
“Strat came in and did a phenomenal job, but I think the secret is out on him that on Friday night in the SEC they’re not going to get to two strikes,” Cohen. “They’re going to take weaker swings and put balls in play, so he’s got to be a little more economical with his pitches.”
Stratton was nominated as a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award watch list and has allowed just one run in the last 25 innings. He becomes the first pitcher to nine victories in the SEC this season.
“It’s a been-there, done-that type of deal,” Stratton said. “Even though I didn’t feel I’ve been here, I have a lot of confidence in our catcher (Mitch Slauter) and in everything he calls.”
On Saturday, Kendall Graveman, who owned Alabama football season tickets when he was at Alexander City (Ala.) High School, gutted through 4 2/3 innings and allowed just six hits and a run. He recorded eight groundball outs to lower his ERA to 2.91.
“We are built to win games like this today and really competed well on the mound,” Graveman said. “Those groundballs outs are my makeup, and I’m not going to go much more than that. I really believe in this team, and we’ve got great things to come still.”
Sophomore Evan Mitchell (2-1) came in for Graveman in the middle of a count, something Cohen and MSU pitching coach Butch Thompson relish doing to throw hitters off a rhythm. He completed 1 1/3 innings for the win. Closer Caleb Reed recorded two outs in the seventh in his 85th career appearance.
“We love the matchup with Caleb and (Alabama bench player/infielder) Kenny Roberts, so when he checks into the game, we’d like to have Caleb right there on the mound to face him late in a game,” Cohen said.
Freshman Jonathan Holder walked into a situation he handled Friday and pitched two scoreless innings for his third save. The one-hit work by Holder, a highly touted prospect from Gulfport, pushed his scoreless streak to 19 2/3 innings.
All of the pitchers except Reed were part of back-to-back recruiting classes that stressed finding quality arms.
“We’ve got 14 pitchers on our travel roster, and all of them are guys we feel confident in, and I think 10 of them can consistently throw it over 90 mph,” Cohen said. “When you have that type of depth in your pen, everything becomes a easier route to victories.”
After winning two straight series with a team batting average less than .200 on the weekend, MSU carved out its eighth victory in nine games by getting one hit in the final six innings.
MSU will go for its first SEC road series sweep this season at 1:10 p.m. today. Cohen suggested starting pitching options are freshman right-hander Brandon Woodruff (0-1, 3.86) and junior left-hander Luis Pollorena (3-0, 1.46).
“The issue with Alabama is they are so right-handed dominant, so we’ll have to go back and evaluate things,” Cohen said.
Junior Charley Sullivan (2-2, 5.59) will start for Alabama. He is an Oxford native and a transfer from Northwest Mississippi Community College.
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